Hatch covers



June 19, 1962 Filed Feb. 19, 1959 PIC-3.1.

W. J. SENIOR HATCH COVERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 N V E N TO R am Jame 7601,-

ATTORNEYS June 19, 1962 w. J. SENIOR 3,039,527

HATCH COVERS Filed Feb. 19, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 C) m (\l m In n q: (\l q 0 9 LL LL :2

INVENTOR W llla'rm Jan-m s enior BY I m h wfi fi AT TORNEYS W. J. SENIOR June 19, 19 62 HATCH COVERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 19, 1959 U- 6 F mm 3 w INVEN William Jannes Senl BY /Z;&M

49% 2% Wai AT TORNEYS United States Patent 3,039,527 HATCH COVERS William James Senior, Leamington Spa, England, as-

signors to Automotive Products Company Limited,

Leamington Spa, England Filed Feb. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 794,387 Claims priority, application Great Britain Feb. 19, 1958 Claims. (Cl. 160188) This invention relates to hatch covers such as are used on cargo vessels to cover large hatchways, and more particularly to hatch covers which comprise two pairs of panels, each pair consisting of two panels hinged together at their adjacent edges and provided with operating means acting between the said panels to move the connected edges upwardly and bring the panels to a back-to-back position. One panel of one pair has its edge opposite to that which is hinged to the other panel of the pair hingedly connected to an end edge of a hatch opening, the said other panel being hinged to one panel of the other pair. When fully folded, both pairs of panels are together at one end of the hatchway.

The object of the invention is to provide control means for the hatch covers such that the pair of panels not having a direct hinged connection to the hatchway frame cannot be folded fully until the pair of panels between it and the said direct hinged connection are already fully folded, such restriction of operation being desirable for reasons of safety.

According to the invention, in a hatch cover comprising two connected pairs of panels, each pair consisting of two panels hinged together at their adjacent edge and provided with operating means acting between the said panels to move their connected edges upwardly and bring the panels to a back-to-back position, the panels of one pair having their edges opposite to those which are connected together hinged respectively to an edge of the hatch opening and to one panel of the other pair, the application of power tothe operating means is so controlled, in response to movement of the panels, that starting from the closed position, the panels forming the said other pair are first partly folded, the panels forming the pair directly hinged to the end of the hatch opening are then fully folded, and the folding of the panels forming the said other pair is then completed, and, starting from the fully folded position, the panels forming the said other pair are first partially unfolded, the panels forming the pair having a direct hinged connection to the end of the hatch opening are then fully unfolded, and the unfolding of the said other pair of panels is then completed.

Preferably, the sequence of folding movement is controlled by controlling the application of power to the operating means.

In one embodiment of the invention the operating means are liquid pressure piston-and-cylinder devices and a sequence Valve; operated by the movements of the panels directs pressure liquid selectively to the operating means for the two pairs of panels.

The sequence valve may be operated by pressure liquid supplied thereto under the control of trip valves actuated by the panels. I The invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example, a hatch cover operating system in which liquid pressure is employed to move the hatch covers.

In the drawings;

FIGURE 1 is a diagram showing the liquid pressure circuit of the system;

FIGURE 2 is a view in longitudinal section of the sequence valve unit shown in FIGURE 1;

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FIGURE 3 is a view in longitudinal section of one of the trip valve units shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a view in longitudinal section of one of the change-over valve units shown in FIGURE 1.

' Referring to FIGURE 1, a part of the frame of a hatch opening in the deck of a ship is shown at 10, and a hatch cover for closing the said opening comprises two pairs of panels 11, 12 and 13, 14. The panels forming each pair are hinged together at 15 in such a way that the said panels are able to fold together by upward movement of their edges at which the hinges 15 are provided, and ultimately to reach the positions shown in chain-dotted lines. The panel 11 is hingedly connected to the frame 10 at 16 and the panels 12 and 13 are hinged one to the other at 17. The panels 12 and 14 are provided with rollers 18 and 19 respectively at their edges remote from the hinges 15 of the said panels, which run on a track provided in the hatchway frame 10.

Each pair of panels 11, 12 and 13, 14 is provided with operating means to effect folding and unfolding thereof, the operating means for the two pairs of panels being shown at 21 and 22 respectively. Each operating means comprises a pair of double-acting liquid pressure pistonand-cylinder devices 23 and 24 each pivotally attached at one end to one of the panels of the appropriate pair and pivotally attached at its other end to an intermediate member 25 pivoting about the axis of the hinge 15 or about a pivot support, carried by one of the said panels, adjacent the said hinge 15. More than one pair of pistonand-cylinder devices, spaced apart in the direction of the hinge axis 15, may be provided for each pair of panels, but the invention will be described as if only one pair were provided. I

The pair of piston-and-cylinder devices constituting the operating means 21 are connected to a selector valve 26 operable to direct pressure liquid into either the remote ends of the two said devices to fold the panels, or into the adjacent ends of the said devices to unfold the panels, and to simultaneously connect the opposite ends to drain. The pair of pistou-and-cylinder devices constituting the operating means 22 are similarly connected to a selector valve 27.

Liquid under pressure is supplied by a pump 28 or other suitable source to a sequence valve 29 which, according to its setting directs such liquid to the selector valve 26 or to the selector valve 27, and the said selector valves are also connected through drain conduits to a reservoir 30 from which the pump 28 draws its supply of liquid. Non-return valves 40 in the conduits between the sequence valve 29 and the selector valves 26 and 27 prevent return flow of liquid in these conduits.

The setting of the sequence valve 29 is determined by trip valves operated by the hatch panels, there being two trip valve units 31 and 32, spaced apart along the hatchway opening so as to be operated one after the other by a projection, such as the shaft carrying the rollers 19, as the said rollers move towards and away from the hinge 16. Each of the trip valve units 31 and 32, which will be hereinafter described in detail, includes two trip valves 33 and 34, and an operating arm 35 which when rocked in one direction operates the trip valve 33 and when rocked in the other direction operates the trip valve 34.'

sides of automatic change-over valves 39 and 40, each of which is in turn connected to one of two operating cylinders 41 and 42 at opposite ends of the sequence valve 29, so that operation of either one of two of the trip valves causes movement of the sequence valve in one direction, and operation of either one of the other two trip valves causes movement of the sequence valve in the other direction.

A third selector valve 43, similar to the selector valves 26 and 27 is arranged to direct liquid from the pump 28 into one or other of the operating cylinders 41 and 42 through respective change-over valves 44 and 45 which serve simultaneously to cut off the said operating cylinders from the trip valves, thus enabling the sequence of operations to be modified. The third selector valve 43 is preferably provided with locking means releasable by a key or the like so that it can be operated only under the supervision of a person holding such key.

The sequence valve 29, which is shown in FIGURE 2, comprises a valve body 46 having a through bore 47, and two end caps 48 and 49 closing the ends of the bore 47. Four parts 51, 52, 53 and 54 are provided in the bore 47, the part 51 being connected to drain, the part 53 being connected to the pump 28 and the parts 52 and 54 being connected respectively to the selector valves 26 and 27. A valve spool 55 having three annular grooves, the outer two of which are connected by an axial bore in the spool, is movable between two positions one of which it connects the part 52 to the pump and the part 54 to drain, and in the other of which it reverses those connections. The end cap 49 has mounted in it a sleeve 56 formed with two circumferential grooves, and an extension piece 57 pinned to the spool 55 has mounted in a diametral bore therein a pair of balls 58 urged outwardly by a spring 59, the grooves being so positioned that the balls are in register with one of them when the spool is in one operative position and with the other of them when the spool is in the other operative position, to locate the spool in those positions. The end caps 48 and 49 constitute the operating cylinders indicated at 41 and 42 in FIGURE 1, to which liquid is directed to operate the sequence valve.

In FIGURE 3, which shows one of the trip valve units 31, 32, the trip valve 33 is shown in cross-section, the trip valve 34, which is shown in elevation, being similar. The trip valve comprises a body 61 fixed to the central casing 62 of the unit and fitted internally with a sleeve 63 in which is slidable a valve spool 64 urged by a spring 65 towards the central casing. Tappets 66 acting on the valve spools 64 are operated through spring boxes 67 by a lever 68 to move the valve spools outwardly, the lever 68 being fixed on a shaft 69 which also carries the arm 35. The valve spools 64 are formed with wide circumferential grooves 71 which in the position shown in FIG- URE 3 are open only to the pressure connections 36 but, when the spools 64 are displaced outwardly, connect the pressure connections 36 to the connections 38. In the position of' the valve spools shown in FIGURE 3, the connections 38 are in communication, through narrow circumferential grooves 72 in the valve spools, and axial bores in the said spools, with the drain connections 37. A spring unit 70 returns the arm 35 and lever 68 to a central position when the shaft of the roller 19 moves clear of the said arm.

The change-over valves 39, 40, 44 and 45 are all of identical construction, one of them being shown in longitudinal section in FIGURE 4. The valve there shown has a T-shaped body 73 having a through bore 74 in its head portion and a further bore 75 in its stem portion leading into the centre of the through bore 74. A valve spool 76 is slidably mounted in the bore 74 and pressure acting in either end of the said bore moves the spool towards the other end thereof and connects the end to which pressure is applied to the bore 75.

In the case of the change-over valves 39 and 40, the

ends of the through bores are connected to the appropriate trip valves, and in the case of the change-over valves 44 and 45, one end of the through bore of each is connected to the bore of one of the change-over valves 44 and 45, and the other end thereof is connected to the selector valve 43,

The selector valves 26, 27 and 43 are of the well known type in which a valve spool which normally isolates a pair of motor parts from both a pressure supply part and a drain part is movable in one direction to connect one motor part to the pressure supply part and the other motor part to the drain part, and in the opposite direction to reverse the said connections.

The operation of the system will now be described with reference to FIGURE 1. Assuming that the hatch cover is closed, as shown in full lines in FIGURE 1, the shaft of the roller 19 has, during the preceding closing movement, actuated the trip valves 33 of the trip valve unit 32, so that the spool of the sequence valve 29 has been moved to the left, and the selector valve 27 is connected through the said sequence valve 29 to the pump 28, the conduit connecting the selector valve 26 to the sequence valve being open to drain. The selector valve 27 is then operated to connect its pressure supply part to the motor part feeding the outer ends of the piston-andcylinder devices 25 of the operating means 22, and the panels 13, 14 are folded upwardly, causing the roller 19 to move to the left until the shaft of the roller 19 rocks the arm 35 of the trip valve unit 32 in an anticlockwise direction and actuates the trip valve 34 of that unit, thus causing liquid under pressure to be supplied to the operating cylinder 41 of the sequence valve so as to move the spool of that valve to the right. This transfers the pressure supply from the selector valve 27 to the selector valve 26. The selector valve 26 is then operated to connect its pressure supply part to the motor part feeding the outer ends of the piston-and-cylinder devices 23, 24 of the operating means 21, and the panels 11 and 12 are folded upwardly until, when they have reached the fully folded position, the shaft of the roller 19 rocks the arm 35 of the trip valve unit 31 in an anti-clockwise direction, operating the trip valve 34 of that unit to again reverse the position of the sequence valve and restore the connection between the pump 28 and the selector valve 27, so that the folding of the panels 13 and 14 is completed, and all of the panels are in the position shown in chaindotted lines in figure. The non-return valves 40 prevent the escape of liquid from the operating means to the reservoir by way of the sequence valve. When the opening of the panels is completed, the sequence valve remains connected to the selector valve 27.

To close the panels the selector valve 27 is moved to connect the inner ends of the piston-and-cylinder devices 23, 24 of the operating device 22 to the pressure supply part of that selector valve, and the said devices 23, 24 move the panels 13, 14 towards their horizontal positions until the shaft of the roller 19, by operating the arm 35 of the trip valve unit 31, operates the trip valve 33 of that unit to move the spool of-the sequence valve 29 to the right and cause liquid to be supplied to the selector valve 26. Liquid is then supplied to the operating means 21 to move the panels 11, 12 to their horizontal position, when the trip valve 33 of the trip valve unit 32 is operated to move the spool of the sequence valve and bring the operating means 22 into action to complete the movement of the panels 13, 14. 7

Operation of the selector valve 43 supplies liquid directly to the operating cylinder 41 or 42 through the change-over valve 44 or 45 independently of the positions of the trip valves, and thus enables the panels to be moved in any desired sequence.

The position of the trip valve unit is preferably suoh that that unit is operated when the panels 13, 14 have assumed an angle of about 20 to the horizontal.

The trip valve units, instead of being mounted on the hatchway frame, may be mounted on the panels themselves, and may be operated when the panels assume the required angular relations one to the other.

Whilst the invention has been particularly described with reference to liquid pressure operation of the panels, other means such as electrical or pneumatic actuators may be employed. Additional pairs of panels may be provided and the sequence-controlling valves re arranged so that all the secondary pairs of panels are first partially folded, the primary pair are then fully folded, and the secondary pairs are then r ully folded one by one starting with the one nearest to the primary pair.

I claim:

1. A hatch cover for closing a hatch opening in the deck of a ship, comprising two connecting pairs of panels, said panels forming each pair being hinged together at an adjacent edge to fold said panels together by upward movement of their edges, said panels of one pair having their edges opposite to those which are connected together hinged respectively to an edge of the hatch opening and to one panel of said other pair, roller means provided at the ends of each pair of panels, a track provided on the hatch opening coopenating with said rollers to facilitate the folding of said panels, operating means provided in each pair of panels to eifect folding and unfolding thereof, each operating means comprising a pair of doubleacting liquid pressure piston-and-cylinder devices, each pivotally attached at one end to one of said panels of each pair and pivotally attached to an intermediate member pivoting about the axis of the hinge between each of said pair of panels, a selector valve coupled to each pair of said piston and-cylinder devices to direct liquid under pressure thereto, a pump, a sequence valve operatively coupled to said pump and to said selector valves to direct the flow of liquid under pressure thereto, trip valves operated by said panels and operatively coupled to said sequence valve to control the operation thereof, said trip valves coacting with said panels so that movement of said hatch panels actuates said trip valves one after the other, whereby operation of said trip valves cause movement of said sequence valve, sequence modifying means operatively coupled to said pump and to said sequence valve to cut off said sequence valve from said trip valves to enable the sequence of operations to be modified.

2. A hatch cover for a hatch opening comprising two 6 connected pairs of panels, each pair consisting of two panels hinged together at their adjacent edges, operating means operatively connected with each of said panels and acting between said panels of each pair to move their connected edges upwardly and bring said panels to a back-to-back position, said panels of one pair having their edges opposite to those which are connected together hinged respectively to an edge of the hatch opening and to one panel of the other pair, selector valve means coupled to said operating means of each pair of panels, trip valve means operatively responsive to the movement of said panels and operatively coupled to said selector valve means, a sequence valve operatively coupled to said trip valve means and to said selector valve means to control the application of power to said operating means in response to the movement of said panels, so that starting firom the closed position, said panels forming said other pair are first partly folded and the panels forming the pair directly hinged to the end of the hatch opening :are then fully folded, and the folding of said panels forming said other pair is then completed, and, starting from the fully folded position, said panels forming said other pair are first partially unfolded, said panels forming the pair having a direct hinged connection t0 the end of the hatch opening are then fully unfolded, and the unfolding of said other pair of panels is then completed.

3. A hatch cover according to claim 2, wherein the operating means are liquid pressure piston-and-cylinder devices, and said sequence valve operating by the movements of said panels directs pressure liquid selectively to said operating means for actuating said two pairs of panels.

4. A hatch cover according to claim 3, wherein said sequence valve is operated by pressure liquid supplied thereto under the control of said trip valves actuated by movement of said panels.

5. A hatch cover according to claim 4, wherein a control valve is operatively coupled to said sequence valve to direct operating pressure liquid thereto independently of the movement of said panels, to permit movement of said panels other than in the controlled sequence.

Greer et a1 Nov. 13, 1956 Mercier et a1. Nov. 13, 1956 

